Where's the ACLU When You Need Them?

[Conan71]

http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?secid=1501&status=article&id=268874251390676

A San Diego public elementary school is mandating a 15 minute prayer break for Muslim students and has banned pork from the cafeteria.

What happened to no prayer in schools?

[sgrizzle]

I'm all for equal rights, relgious freedom, etc. But don't give 15 minutes to just one group of students. Everyone gets it or no-one does.

[cannon_fodder]

Old news...

Here is a non opinion page news story on the topic:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070702-9999-1n2prayer.html

Here is what I posted on another board I lurk on... it was directed at someone who posted it as a "why do THEY get to do it and I can not" context.  So I am kind of batting on both sides here:

Muslim Prayer: "An investigation by the San Diego Unified School District failed to substantiate the allegations. But critics continue to assail Carver for providing a 15-minute break in the classroom each afternoon to accommodate Muslim students who wish to pray. (Those who don't pray can read or write during that non-instructional time.)"

First of all, no one is leading prayers, those accusations were unsubstantiated. Second, the Supreme Court has upheld silent time for students to do with what they please. If a Christian wanted to pray during these 15 minutes, they are perfectly capable of doing so.
How is that discriminating against Christians?

Not to mention the petty jealousy of that argument. Christians claim they want the right to worship and bring god into the classroom - but when they think someone else is getting that right they call foul. Shouldn't they embrace this 15 minutes and say "lets use this 15 minutes for our prayers too!" Even if they said "only Muslims can lead prayers in public schools and never ever ever Christians" it still brings religion into schools and does not take away any rights of Christians, wouldn't Jesus wonder why you are upset that someone has been given more than you even though it was not to your detriment (farm hand paid for a full day story)?

(the rest went off on a topic related tangent that is not relevant here)
- - - - -

All that aside, I think it is BS to bend the norm to accommodate religion in a public school. Be it Jewish, Christian, Voodoo, or Muslim.  I agree with the supreme court that a 15 period of silent implicitly designed for prayer is likely an endorsement of prayer.  A student could easily be pressured into at least ACTING like they were engaged in Islamic prayer if that is what the majority is doing. I'm not sure how they are getting around that here.

Per the cafeteria, do what my HS did:  have a PBJ table.  If you do not like what they are serving, you are always free to make yourself a PB&J or bring your own lunch.  No pork for you (my high school largely did it to accommodate Jews).

Reasonable accommodation is just fine (PBJ, allowing Muslims a break from class to go pray at the dictated times, etc) but inconveniencing everyone else (and denying them pork chops) is an example of minority rule over the majorities rights.

[Conan71]

There are places for a group of 100 or more students of a particular religion who want:

- prayer time in the classroom
- special dietary needs as per their religion
- instruction in the "official" language of that religion

It's called a private school.  

When it comes to public schools, I'm with Sgrizz- all or nothing.

[cannon_fodder]

I can agree with that basic premise.  The only way to really be fair is to go with the nothing or you must accommodate all manner of strange and distracting things that are contrary to the educational goals of a school.  There are religions I have never heard of that will be demanding their 15 minutes.